[DE - EN - ES -  FR - IT - LA - PT]

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

Prot. N. 137/2009S – ED

DECREE
 

Since through the virtues of the Saints, the most holy virtue of Jesus Christ shines forth, and since examples of the same Saints are always to be offered to the faithful[1], in his Letter of 7 July 2007, Pope Benedict XVI gave a mandate to the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” so that some of those who in more recent decades had been enrolled among the Saints may be venerated also in the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite[2]. Indeed, “it is highly appropriate that whoever is saintly before God should also be held as saintly before men”[3], and “it is of not little benefit for the faithful to always have new examples of virtues to imitate”[4].

The Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”, which had confirmed such determination in the Instruction “Universæ Ecclesiæ”[5], therefore took up the question of how those Servants of God recently enrolled among the Saints might be appropriately inserted into the old Missal. This research, started by the Pontifical Commission, was recently completed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after the Sovereign Pontiff Francis transferred all the duties of said Commission to said Congregation, by an Apostolic Letter given “motu proprio” on 17 January 2019[6].

Wherefore the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, having consulted several Religious Institutes, Societies of Apostolic Life and experts devoted to the Usus Antiquior, as well as the Most Eminent Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, approved the norms set out below in order to foster the veneration of Saints in the forma extraordinaria, without prejudice to particular calendars or feasts previously granted by the Holy See.

[1] A missa festiva latiore sensu (cf. RGMR 302) may be celebrated, for a just cause, on all III class days (except those referred to below under n. 8) as well as on III class vigils of Saints.

[2] In addition, as regards RGMR 302 c), the Mass of anyone enrolled among the Saints after 26 July 1960 is allowed, on the date of their liturgical memorial as established for the Universal Church. A votive Mass of the same is also permitted, in accordance with RGMR 311, and in keeping with the other rubrics regarding votive Masses.

[3] Whenever a missa festiva latiore sensu is said, the full Divine Office in conformity with Mass may be celebrated, as an ordinary Office (RGBR 169).

[4] An ordinary commemoration of the feast or vigil omitted pursuant to what is established above under nn. 1-3, is always to be made, together with other commemorations occurring according to the rubrics, observing RG 111 d).

[5] As regards the choice of the formulary for Mass and Divine Office pursuant to the above prescriptions, unless these are found in the Proprium Sanctorum pro aliquibus locis of the 1962 Missal or in its new Supplement approved by the Holy See, they should be taken from the Common of the Missal or Breviary. When in a given Common several formularies exist, the choice is made ad libitum celebrantis. The formularies provided in the above-mentioned Proprium Sanctorum or Supplement are to be used on the dates indicated therein.

[6] Furthermore, on liturgical days of III or IV class, an ordinary commemoration may be made ad libitum celebrantis of a Saint or Mystery on the date at which these are indicated in the Proprium Sanctorum pro aliquibus locis or in the new Supplement, at Mass and in the Office, observing RG 111 d).

[7] In the houses of Religious Institutes or of Societies of Apostolic Life, it pertains to the Superior of the House, and not to the celebrant, to determine how to make use of the present provisions in the Conventual Mass or in the Divine Office celebrated in common or in choir.

[8] The III class feast days which may be neither impeded nor omitted under the present provisions are listed in the table below. Said feasts may also be celebrated on III class ferias of Lent or Passiontide, making a commemoration of the feria according to the rubrics.

All that is established by this Decree is to be observed as from 19 March of this year, on the Feast of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor and Patron of the Universal Church, all things to the contrary notwithstanding.

The Sovereign Pontiff Francis, in the Audience granted on 5 December 2019 to the undersigned Archbishop Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved this Decree and ordered its publication.

Given in Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on 22 February 2020, on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle.

Luis F. Card. Ladaria, S.I.  
Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
 

✠ Giacomo Morandi
Titular Archbishop of Cerveteri
Secretary

ANNEX TO THE DECREE OF 22 FEBRUARY 2020

LIST OF III CLASS FEASTS
WHICH MAY NOT BE IMPEDED

JANUARY

17        St. Anthony, Abbot
20        Ss. Fabian, Pope, and Sebastian, Martyr
21        St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
24        St. Timothy, Bishop and Martyr
25        Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle
26        St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr
27        St. John Chrysostom, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
29        St. Francis of Sales, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
31        St. John Bosco, Confessor

FEBRUARY

1          St. Ignatius, Bishop and Martyr
5          St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
6          St. Titus, Bishop and Confessor

MARCH

6          Ss. Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs
7          St. Thomas Aquinas, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
9          St. Frances of Rome, Widow
12        St. Gregory I, Pope, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
21        St. Benedict, Abbot
24        St. Gabriel the Archangel

APRIL

11        St. Leo I, Pope, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
14        St. Justin Martyr
30        St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin

MAY

2          St. Athanasius, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
4          St. Monica, Widow
5          St. Pius V, Pope and Confessor
9          St. Gregorio of Nazianzus, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
25        St. Gregory VII, Pope and Confessor
26        St. Philip Neri, Confessor

JUNE

5          St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
11        St. Barnabas, Apostle
13        St. Anthony of Padua, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
14        St. Basil the Great, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
21        St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Confessor
30        Commemoration of St. Paul, Apostle

JULY

7          Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Bishops and Confessors
14        St. Bonaventure, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
19        St. Vincent of Paul, Confessor
22        St. Mary Magdalen, Penitent
29        St. Martha, Virgin
31        St. Ignatius, Confessor

AUGUST

2          St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
4          St. Dominic, Confessor
5          Dedication of St. Mary of the Snows
8          St. John Vianney, Confessor
12        St. Clare, Virgin
20        St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
28        St. Augustine, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
29        Decollation of St. John the Baptist

SEPTEMBER

03        St. Pius X, Pope and Confessor
12        Most Holy Name of Mary
16        Ss. Cornelius and Cyprian, Bishops and Martyrs
27        Ss. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs
30        St. Jerome, Priest, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

OCTOBER

02        Holy Guardian Angels
03        St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin
04        St. Francis, Confessor
06        St. Bruno, Confessor
14        St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr
15        St. Teresa, Virgin

NOVEMBER

04        St. Charles, Bishop and Confessor
11        St. Martin, Bishop and Confessor
14        St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
18        Dedication of the Basilicas of Ss. Peter and Paul, Apostles
22        St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
23        St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr
24        St. John of the Cross, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

DECEMBER

03        St. Francis Xavier, Confessor
06        St. Nicholas, Bishop and Confessor
07        St. Ambrose, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
11        St. Damasus I, Pope and Confessor
13        St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr